1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical instrument including articulating links. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument including a linkage having reduced positioned error.
2. Background of Related Art
A minimally invasive surgical procedure is one in which a surgeon enters a patient's body through one or more small openings in the patient's skin or naturally occurring openings (e.g., mouth, anus, or vagina). As compared with traditional open surgeries, minimally invasive surgical procedures have several advantages and disadvantages. Minimally invasive surgeries include arthroscopic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, and thoracoscopic surgeries. Advantages of minimally invasive surgical procedures over traditional open surgeries include reduced trauma and recovery time for patients. The disadvantages include the need to insert many instruments through a single opening and a reduced visualization of the surgical site.
It is critical that a surgeon be able to accurately place surgical instruments within the surgical site. Some surgical instruments are configured to articulate. When articulating a surgical instrument, there may be positioning error. In particular, when a surgical instrument includes articulating links, each link may have a positioning error. While the positioning error of each link may be relatively minor, the cumulative effect of all the positioning errors may be significant. Minimizing such positioning error is desirable to facilitate accurate placement of the instruments within the surgical site.
Consequently, a continuing need exists for improved minimally invasive surgical devices.